5 Used Sports Cars Cheaper Than The Mazda MX-5 Miata

Since the Mazda Miata launched in 1989, over a million units have sold across all generations, making it the best-selling sports car in history, and with good reason. The Miata is known for being fun to drive and adorable, all while having a convertible top. With its go-kart-like handling, the Miata is “always the answer,” whether it’s the track, canyons, a coastline cruise, or a morning drive to work. And perhaps the main selling point? It’s always been affordable through every generation, thanks to its minimalistic approach and small engines. 

The Mazda MX-5 Miata recently made headlines for finally going over the $30,000 threshold — but it’s still the cheapest new sports car available in the United States at $31,665 to start. However, you can still find a cheap sports car for cheaper if you’re willing to buy one used. This could be a model that’s just a few years old, or perhaps a vintage sports car with the same focus on spirited driving. 

If you can find a used Toyota GR86 that’s a few years old, you could spend just under $30,000 depending on the mileage and condition. With a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine making 228 horsepower and a six-speed manual transmission (or an auto), the GR86 is known for its handling, steering, and overall visceral driving experience. 

You’re looking at 0 to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds, thanks to a relatively small weight figure. Our own review of the 2024 model included a lot of comparisons to the Miata, since these are two cars with exceptional cornering, made even more fun with a manual transmission. 

The downside to the GR86? Also like the Miata, it’s pretty cramped inside. The GR86 seats four, but it’ll be tough to find adults that want to sit in the back seats. The GR86 also gets pretty loud inside — it’s not the most luxurious ride. However, that adds to the charm.

The Chevrolet Corvette continues to push performance boundaries for its price point — the 2027 Corvette may be the only sports car that will get you to 200 mph (easily) at well under $100,000, but you can spend $30,000 on a Corvette if you go back to the C6, which ranges from model years 2005 to 2013. 

The 2005 C6 has a 6.0-liter LS2 V8 engine, which produces 400 hp. 2008 introduced the LS3 engine, a 6.2-liter V8 that makes 428 hp. The C6 also has a nearly perfect weight distribution, so the handling is nimble and precise, while the power from the V8 engine offers incredible acceleration on straights. Like the Miata, the C6 Corvette is totally at home as a daily commuter or a weekend track monster, and the removable targa top also makes it a great cruiser. But, unlike the Miata, there is actually a good amount of trunk space in the C6.

If you go a few years back to 2024, the EcoBoost Mustang can be found for just under $30,000. The car community likes to joke about the EcoBoost, since it’s missing the iconic Coyote V8. Don’t knock the 2.3 EcoBoost, though; it makes 315 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque is enough to make the car feel powerful and fun to drive. It gets to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and reaches the 1/4 mile in 13.2 seconds, making it a very fast four-cylinder option. And hey, it’s way more than the Miata’s 181-hp 2.0-liter engine. 

The EcoBoost Mustang may not be as powerful as the GT, but it has always been known for having slightly better handling. This makes the EcoBoost a balanced option for the track, offering responsive steering and nimble turning, and not to mention less weight over the nose. However, the EcoBoost is also great for commuting. Unlike some others on the list, it’s quite comfortable in the cabin and almost peaceful. You get better gas mileage than the GT as well.

The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X was released for 2008 and lasted until 2015, enduring quite a lot of market challenges. However, the Evo is now a pretty desirable sporty car for JDM fans, and there are plenty of options under $30,000 depending on mileage, condition, and modifications. 

The Evo X sports the 4B11T engine, a 2.0-liter inline four turbocharged powerhouse that produced up to 440 hp in the FQ440 edition which, sadly, North America never got — USDM Evo X models topped out at 303 hp in the 2015 Final Edition. Fortunately, you can easily get 400 hp out of an Evo X. It’s also over 3,500 lbs, pretty hefty for a sporty car. With that combo of power and weight, the Evo X is known for needing its tires changed quite often, especially if you are taking it to the track. 

While it’s not made with the most luxurious materials inside, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X is actually quite reliable overall. However, you should look for a used example without a lot of modifications, which will make the search tougher. It’s very much worth it, since the Evo X is a fun show and track car with a very unique feel. Thank you, depreciation.

Looking for a fun, cute, convertible cheaper than the Miata? The third generation Toyota MR2’s average market rate right now is around $13,000, according to Classic.com, although the price will depend on the condition, mileage, and features. It has an expressive face thanks to its big, frog-like headlights and smiling grille. Its body is round yet sporty — and it’s also convertible. 

If that doesn’t sound familiar enough, there’s also the fact that it has no cargo space (although there’s a tiny frunk). If you’re just wanting to have a fun daily driver or a car that’s perfect for spirited weekend driving, the MR2 fits the bill. It has a high-revving 1.8-liter engine four-cylinder, and yet it weighs only 2,195 lbs, making it light, zippy, and relatively fuel efficient. 

There are actually two previous MR2 generations, although the Spyder is one of the most reliable and adorable. It’s honestly a shame the MR2 was discontinued, although Toyota is working on, and is almost ready to show a mid-engine MR2 successor quite soon.

There is truly nothing like the Mazda MX-5 Miata, but there are many sports cars that come close. To come up with this list, we first had to confirm the price of a new Miata — which has unfortunately reached beyond $30,000. There are really no other new sports cars that are $30,000, although there are some that come close: a new Mustang EcoBoost starts at $32,995, which isn’t too shabby. 

To figure out the price of used sports cars, we used CarGurus and Cars.com, as well as Classic.com, to see listing prices as well as some averages. It was tough to narrow it down because there are plenty of classic sports cars that fit the bill, as well as older generations of popular current models. We chose sports cars from several eras, both a few years old and a decade or more, to give some variety. What do they all have in common? They had to be fun to drive and visually appealing, while bringing some of the Miata spirit with them, whether it was great handling, a convertible top, or a cute expression.